Paso Robles Tank, Inc.

like the rest of the world, so we have to roll with the punches.” That has meant setting up stations to check the temperature and general wellness of anyone who enters each facility. It has also meant random COVID-19 tests for employees, both to stop any potential outbreaks before they start and provide everyone with peace of mind that the situation is being monitored. Early on, employees who were able to work remotely did so. In the meantime, offices were expanded and reorganized to put more space between people, making a safer environment for when they returned. New hand washing and hand sanitizing stations were installed. High-touch surfaces and items were sanitized multiple times a day. Implementing all those changes wasn’t easy. “It’s definitely been a financial strain on the company,” Wombles admits. “Having to pay for it all, including wages for people off work. It’s required a lot of overhead. That’s probably the biggest thing, people not realizing how much overhead it takes to support and still be there for the employees and take care of the company at the same time in this pandemic.” Operations, through no fault of the company, were affected as well. Certain niche items became more difficult to obtain. Products that are available can take twice or even three times as long to arrive on site once they’re ordered. And the cost of some materials, such as steel plate, has increased more than 50 percent in the last few months. But Paso Robles Tank, being considered an essential business, found ways to continue with creativity and ingenuity. Materials from one site were moved to another where they were in short supply until stock could be replenished. Suppliers with longstanding relationships, such as Kloeckner Metals, American Metals, PDM Steel Service Centers, Brown Strauss Steel, Patton’s Metal Working Solutions, California Metal and Supply, B&B Surplus, and Tnemec stepped up to help Paso Robles Tank meet demand. “Tnemec Shane Wombles, President of Paso Robles Tank